Tag Archives: Stoner Rock

PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS: Land Of Sleeper.

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Are you looking for the loudest record of the year? Do you want something that’ll burst your eardrums in the most pleasant way possible? Pigsx7 have gone and done it with their new record, Land Of Sleeper. 8 songs that are sheer delight, absolute carnage and beautifully loud.

Writing about this band brings me so much joy. I just LOVE them. They combine everything I love about music, and everything I want from music and just make something that is effortlessly slick and charming. This morning on the way to work, I had a horrible pain in my chest. I knew what was coming- it was the start of a panic attack. I needed to somehow tame my mind to deter something from happening. I started to listen to some meditation for anxiety on Spotify. I found myself getting wound up over the persons voice and how it felt like they were being patronising. I hated it. I needed something but I didn’t know what. So, I went and found something to listen to. Again, I found myself turning to Pigsx7. I tuned into the new record once more. I don’t know what happened, but I felt almost calm. My brain was tame, the pain in my chest wasn’t as bad. I was alright. It probably seems strange to have something so loud be a calming force- but that’s just what they do. I don’t know if it’s the vocals or the heaviness of the sound. It just feels like a massive grip around me offering reassurance.

It is such an incredible record, and I know I say it every time I write about Newcastle’s finest- but there is something about this band that is so magical and so euphoric. There’s this aggression in the music and vocals that doesn’t make you feel threatened- it makes you feel quite safe. Every time they’ve toured something has gotten in the way of me seeing them but I’m determined to see them this year. I just need to. I have to. They’re the kind of band that you have to really focus on. You can’t just mindlessly play a song and be like, “oh this is nice.” You have to really soak it all in, and I think that’s why listening to them this morning when I felt awful truly helped. I wasn’t aware of anything or anyone around me- just this record. I think it was Big Rig that saved my brain this morning, but if I’m honest- every song on this record is a dream to listen to.

The vibrations in the songs, the way every song moves you in a psychedelic way allowing you to be free with your limbs and screaming the words back at Matt is just insane. You can hear how they poured their everything into this record, and it’s evident in their previous records. This band don’t make shit songs- ever. They don’t have one bad song. They are consistently excellent, and Land Of Sleeper massively shows this. Every song is a call to action and a bolt of reassurance for the soul. Most of the songs on the record last over 5 minutes, and I think for me that’s part of the attraction. I love how their songs feel like stories or a journey. I feel like I’m being taken into a sacred world and Pigsx7 are the leaders. I’ve said it before but when I listen to them- i feel like I’m listening to Melvins and Sleep for the first time. Those two bands are vital and shaped a lot of the music I listen to, and to hear a band like Pigsx7- they complete my holy trinity in a way! I honestly cannot praise this record enough. I’m going back to Big Rig again- the last 2 minutes of this songs turn into some obscure instrumental that will blow your mind. You can’t help but dig it- it’s incredible!

Land Of Sleeper is made up of anthems that need to be heard as loud as possible. There’s this raw energy on this record that has developed from each record they’ve put out- this is THEIR record, and I love how you can tell that they have and always will make music that is for THEM and no one else. It’s how THEY want to sound. Perfection is subjective, but come on now- this is another perfect record by the band. There’s a lot of pent up emotions and rage being released on this record.

For me, a lot of the songs have that same outpouring that’s on Release The Bats by The Birthday Party. I can’t explain it- I just know that there’s a similar link in how it’s poured out. I’m just in awe of this record and how yet again, Pigsx7 have gone and done it with another masterpiece.

NEW GUINEA PIGS ON THE BLOCK.

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Aside from having a great name, New Guinea Pigs On The Block are insane musicians. If you’re wanting something that makes you feel like you’ve heard Melvins for the first time, or if you want to feel like your brain has been smashed in and your eardrums beautifully burst- then like me, you will in love with New Guinea Pigs On The Block.

Their new record has been released via the great Italian label Area Pirata, and if you go and listen to what this label have been putting out since 2001, it is no surprise that New Guinea Pigs On The Block have found a home with them. The perfect match. This record was made to blow your mind. In the UK we have a band called PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS, and they are off the scale kind of noisy. The kind of loud that would make prudish folk squirm, and that’s exactly what New Guinea Pigs On The Block do too. They will make people feel uncomfortable with how noisy they are, but for me- it’s part of the charm.

The record has 13 songs that will move you, melt your face and make you wish you could make something like this. I wish I could. I know, I always do. I know. These 13 songs feel like they came out of someone who had been cooped up in a small space for years and just had to let it all out. Kind of like this pandemic shite really. The band are just talented beyond words. You can really picture what their live shows would be like in your mind, and when a band can paint that picture for you within seconds of getting into the record- well, you know you’ve found something to treasure.

Rib Tips is the one I’d play for someone who was on the fence about how loud they want their music to be; it’s a gentle ease into the band if that’s how you want to be. With the pubs near my flat now opened, I can drown out drunken noise with this band. Bliss! I’ll buy whatever they sell (within reason.) They are just a real joy to listen to, and I love that lo-fi feel. You feel like you’ve stepped into the deep unknown when you listen to them, and for me that’s something I really love finding in music.

You’ve got this Psych feel to the songs that makes you feel like you’re stuck in a dream, but you’re wide awake and probably a little wired too. They take you on an intense journey and part of you doesn’t want to ever leave it. Take Out The Trash is the one you probably need to play the loudest right now. It reminds me a little of MC5 in a way- that really heavy sound that you can’t get enough of. Knock On Thee Door starts quite calm compared to other songs on the record- it’s got Funk feel to it that really makes you move. Basically, this band are great. That’s all there is to it.

New Guinea Pigs On The Block are everything you could want from a band. Everything on this record they did themselves, and that gorgeous DIY feel is something to really grasp hold of. I just love the way they take you on this trip, and your mind goes off. The mind and body are split when you listen to this record, and this separation is what makes the record so addictive. Just going back to Knock On Thee Door- it is just under 7 minutes of sheer bliss. It really allows you to hear just how phenomenal they are as a band. Every band member on this song truly shines and you just can’t get enough of it. 6 minutes and 55 seconds just isn’t enough for this song. Songs like Iguana Man and Stone Hedge are nothing short of genius. The whole record is basically 13 songs of pure heaven and the insight to musical geniuses that are, New Guinea Pigs On The Block.

There’s only 3 of them in the band, but they sound like there’s about 10 of them. I love this record and this band, and with this record it is fair to say that they have created something to treasure and adore forever. I want to play it all the time and spend my days just soaking up every sound, every note on this record. It’s a monster of a record, and the band aren’t afraid to really go for it. Honestly, one of the best records I’ve heard all year!

BABY CANDY.

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We know that Australia has given us some amazing bands, and Baby Candy are another band you can cite as being exceptional. They are everything you could want from a Stoner/Psych Rock band, and more. If you want loud sounds with some good ol’ fashioned reverb; then Baby Candy are the band for you. They’re for everyone.

They’ve just released two new singles (She’s Melting and What’s Inside) and these songs are not to be ignored at all. They are to be blasted out as loud as possible. Tell everyone you know about this band. Then we can all cry together until bands can tour again. They definitely give off that vibe of being a band that you HAVE to see live. This kind of music isn’t made to just be heard in bedrooms or through headphones. This band definitely need to be seen live. It’s bittersweet in a way because you can hear just how great they are but at the same time- you just wish you could go to a show.

Baby Candy have been going since 2018 (I think) and up on their Bandcamp page there is a song from 2018, some demos made last year and the two singles that came out this month. Although we do not have many songs, what they have given us so far is a clear indication that this band are really great. They sound like everything you could possibly want from a band that are unafraid to be loud and really delve into creating their own sound. The demos they made last year (titled Pandemos) are four songs that really hit you in the gut. There is so much going on, and so much to appreciate. They are brilliant musicians, and with just a handful of songs they have most certainly created something to be treasured.

That solid Garage Rock sound is there, but it’s mixed with this heaviness that just makes you zone out in the most magical way possible. You feel like you’ve gone back to the 60s with these songs (the Pandemos) but stepped into the future at the same time. I just love what they do, and I love their sound so much. There are a few bands I could liken their sound to (as in bands I love) but when you keep listening to them, you can’t help but think “I’ve never heard anything like this before!” There is something familiar yet brand new about them, and that’s what I adore about them so much.

Baby Candy are the kind of band that you don’t just half heartedly listen to. You really invest your time into their music- there is so much to love and appreciate about their music, and I think that is part of the charm. It’s totally fine to have bands that you listen to in the background or whatever, but sometimes you want something that just gets you right in the gut. If you want to really experience this, play their song Have You Lost Your Mind. You will see what I mean. It’s the kind of song that makes you stop what you are doing, and all you can do is focus on this song. Everything on this song is just golden and beautiful. I can’t get enough of it, and it’s easily my favourite song by them so far.

The sheer ferociousness in the songs, the production, everything- it is just impeccable. We need bands like this. They really do make you feel like you’re going into another universe with them. Shut your eyes and silence your mind when you listen to Baby Candy and let them take you on a trip. Go as far out as possible, and don’t come back down to earth if you don’t want to. Live in the world they have created and be free.

PSYCHIC VOID.

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Some spooky and loud shit for you- Psychic Void. Excellent name for a band, even better music. I love them. They are so loud to the point where it would make someone feel uncomfortable, and I LOVE that about them. There are no romantic tunes here or pitch perfect notes. Far from it. It’s a shouty, chaotic brawl and it’s divine. It’s probably what my version of Heaven sounds like. Oh Canada, you’ve done it again with another exceptional band!

They’ve put a few records out already, so I’m just going to focus on the reasons as to why I love them and why playing them loud enough to cause your ears to probably bleed is so satisfying.

Songs like Morning Anxiety, Day Dreamer and Skeleton Paradise are just INSANE. They remind me of our lovely Newcastle lads, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs. There’s this Stoner Rock feel that makes you feel like you’ve slipped down a Melvins rabbit hole and you then get smacked in the face so HARD that you are catapulted into this pit of sleaze, sweat and gloriously loud songs. The songs aren’t for the those who like to feel clean and pure. They are for those who aren’t afraid of being an absolute mess. If you want a band that make you feel like you are being possessed, then chewed up and spat out by the Devil- then you will LOVE Psychic Void.

I think Terminal Vacation is their first record, and my god it is so good. It’s one of those records that makes you feel a bit uneasy and afraid to sleep without the light on, but don’t let that put you off! These songs probably were intended to scare you shitless. Stick their songs in a good Horror film, and you’ll get what I mean. Beautifully terrifying in all the right places.

A couple of years ago they released Gutter Butter which is the calmest they have sound, but it is still a powerful piece of art that needs to be blasted out as loud as possible. This band are just incredible. Last year they released the mind-blowing Skeleton Paradise. This is something else. It’s like Nine Inch Nails meets Sleep mixed with Japan’s finest BORIS. It’s all over the place in the best way possible, and is unlike what you’ve heard before. It’s such a remarkable record that again, should hopefully terrify you. These 8 songs are just out of this world and made to be played to the point where your street starts to shake.

You cannot keep still listening to this band at all. I’d imagine that their live shows are an experience too- can you imagine hearing songs like Dirty Hands and Knelt live? It’d be like every part of you finally came alive and you carry that with you for the rest of time; comparing everything to the moment you saw the band live. There is something really incredible about Psychic Void, and it’s that something you seek out in bands that eventually become everything to you. You cling to these songs with all you have.

The energy they have is ridiculous; it’s really unlike anything else around. They’ve just got this brilliant and effortlessly slick sound. Jesse has this growl to his voice that makes you wonder how he can still sing like this! How has he not damaged himself yet? The screams on Denim Daddy will send you into a frenzy. The whole second record is like the obnoxious and snotty sibling to their debut. It’s perfect.

Psychic Void make songs that will make you feel like you’ve had an electric shock to the heart. They will jolt you, bruise you, batter you and make you feel like nothing else will ever top this feeling. You’ll really get this from the song Alley Dweller, which could be one of their greatest songs. But let’s be honest, this band do NOT have any bad songs at all. They are consistently great and that’s why that, although they have perfect this sound, they have made something of their own.

I’m obsessed with what I’ve heard, and now I want more.

My lunch break is over, now I need to try be a little calm for the next few hours!

Check out their songs here: https://psychicvoid.bandcamp.com/

DUSTY MUSH: Rainbow Creatures EP.

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Right out of nowhere we have a brand-new Dusty Mush EP! Totally unexpected but definitely needed. I’ve written about this Parisian band before, well I think it’s just Cédric on this, but irrespective of band members- this is one heavy EP.

 Everything about Dusty Mush demands your attention, and the Rainbow Creatures EP is no exception. It’s like a sped-up version of Sleep or some wild shit. Cédric is a phenomenal musician, and I always look forward to hearing what he’s up to, and with this EP he most certainly brings back that excitement. Although the EP is only 4 songs long, it’s a great taster for those who have never ever listened to Dusty Mush before.

 Rainbow Creatures doesn’t really last 10 minutes but you know how it goes- you just keep on hitting the repeat button and wait for the magic to hit you between the eyes all over again. I love The Fog and how unapologetically rowdy it is. For some it could be an uncomfortable listen, but for me it just shows us how fantastic Mr. Bottacchi is! The guy is out of this world, and I think The Fog just may be his best work to date.

 

 

 

Dusty Mush is the epitome of experimental and all that good stuff. There is glorious sound going all the way through these 4 songs, and it just makes you want to lock yourself away for a little whilst and blast these gems out. They really are meant to fuck with your head and posses your body; I’m all for it. Poison Oak is the only instrumental number on the EP, and it shows us how great a musician Cédric is. It’s a great way to close the EP but as you know, it just leaves you wanting more.

 The title track is an absolute monster, and it has this huge sound to it- this almost drone-like feel to it that’s found in the likes of OM and such. It’s got this unfiltered heavy feel, and it just stays with you. The song sounds like it could be some kind of folk tale told to scare people shitless. I love the eerie sound on it, and I love how that creepy feeling is apparent through every song on the record. It is a pleasure to listen. A real treat for the ears.

 Monterey is a quicker number. You can imagine someone fleeing in a getaway car listening to this, and not looking back on what they have done. What I’ve found with this EP is that is could easily be the soundtrack to a film. It’s got that bite to it that could easily make it the soundtrack to some wonderfully messed up film- you know the kind. The kind of film that stays on your mind for days, and every so often you find yourself thinking about it, so you have to watch it again and again. You can’t shake it. That’s exactly what you get from the Rainbow Creatures EP. It’s a work of art, a gnarly masterpiece.

 

 

 

If you’re after something that’s going to take you on some blissed-out psychedelic trip, then you need to get yourself a copy of Rainbow Creatures immediately and let Cédric whisk you off to some place truly magical. The EP has been released via Dirty Slice Records, and only 30 copies of the coloured tapes have been made. You know what to do.

 

 

MELVINS: Manchester Academy 2. 28/10/2018.

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For as long as I can remember, I’ve idolised Melvins. I’ve always been in awe of their heavy sound and how they just make you constantly feel like you’re hallucinating or some weird shit. On Sunday night, I finally got to see them and after years of waiting- I can safely say it was worth the wait.

Melvins ripped apart the Academy on Sunday night. They easily could have sold out the main venue, but in Academy 2 which used to be a notorious sweatbox, they kept their cool and made you feel like you were in a huge arena with their sound and presence. There is something about Melvins that makes you want to pick up a guitar and just unleash a thousand furies upon anyone who will listen. Previously they’ve had two drummers- this time, we got two bassists. I’d have LOVED to have seen them with two drummers, but having two beasts on the bass was an equally brilliant experience. Oh, and Steven was wearing one of the best jackets I’ve ever seen!

The set did mainly consist of material from their newest record, Pinkus Abortion Technician which is a brutally heavy record and although I’ve not paid too much attention to the record- the live version of these songs just made me love the record a hell of a lot. Something that is always consistent with this band is how out there they are, and just when you think they can’t blow your mind more than they have- they just ruin your eardrums and make you so glad you have this band in your life.

I took my girlfriend with me to the show. I wasn’t sure if she was going to enjoy the show, but she’s one of life’s greater people and she’s pretty cool so, I had nothing to worry about. She was more shocked that I loved a band as heavy as this! I can see why. If Sleep ever play a UK show again, I’ll have to take her. Anyway, converting people to this great band aside- Melvins put on a mind-bending show. Everything about their live show utterly projects just how amazing they are, and how they are just so criminally underrated. Bands like this have it in them to last until the end of time, and I’m pretty sure King Buzzo is going to outlive us all. There is no way he is human. He’s something else, and to just be in the same room as him blew my mind. I had to stop myself from freaking out when he walked on to the stage to do a line check.

A highlight of course, was Dale closing the show with a delightful rendition of So Long, Farewell. However for me, Don’t Forget To Breathe was my favourite moment of the show. Sure it’s a new song, but my god it is menacing. It is terrifying and it is divinely hypnotising. I felt like I was on another planet when they performed this. It’s an 8 minute whirlwind that just lures you in, and they do it in the most enigmatic way possible. If it wasn’t for Melvins, we wouldn’t have a lot of the bands we have now. I love hearing bands who have been influenced by them, because for the most part the influence is subtle but when you dig deeper- it’s definitely there.

I can safely say that after years of waiting, this was everything and more. I knew I was going to have my brain fried and my eyes opened to a different world. I went in expecting something magical, and I sure as hell got it. Easily one of the best shows I’ve been to this year and you know, it’s always pretty damn cool seeing one of the most important bands to you live. That’s a feeling that can’t ever be replicated.

PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS: King Of Cowards.

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With just six songs, the new record by Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs just instantly blows your mind, bursts your eardrum and fills you with this eternal rapture. The record opens with GNT which is probably the best opener to any record I’ve heard in a long time. The record is menacing. The record feels like something you’d play to conjure up something from the underworld. It’s an incredible record. It’s just absolutely mind-bending, life-changing and really really loud.

Before I really get into this record, I just hope our next generation, and the generation after that get into bands like Pigs and keep this sound alive. The musicianship is out of this world. To create something this loud, this off the wall and important takes guts, and Pigs sure as hell have them. The songs are proper anthemic which are created to just rip you apart, and totally devour your soul. You don’t mind the band taking every piece of you, because the music is that powerful. The passion in Matt’s voice is insane. He sounds like a preacher with a cult following- we will all listen and cling to his words. The sheer heaviness of this band and the way they sound together reminds me of two of my all-time favourite bands- Sleep and Melvins. They make me feel exactly the same way I did when I first heard these bands a long time ago. They just fill you with excitement because FINALLY we have a band making heavy music that has some bite to it.

There’s only five of them in the band, but on this record they make you feel like you’re listening to a Stoner Rock orchestra. It’s nothing but genius. That’s the only word to describe them. Some may have labelled last year’s release, Feed The Rats as being quite difficult to listen to- but I don’t get it. Three songs that last ages, and with every listen they just make your brain go off into the unknown. Have they done the same with King Of Cowards? Come on now, you KNOW they have.

Right now I’m calling A66 as my favourite. I love how it just feels like your whole being is turning to mush, and as you melt into the ground- the band take what is left of you and create something no other band has ever dared to do. They push themselves, they push the listener and I love that so much. They’ll make you feel uncomfortable with first listen- especially this song. At times it’ll feel like white noise echoing in your ears and shattering your skull, but before the song is done- you’ll be hooked. There is no band like this right now, and thank fuck we have them. They’re playing Manchester soon, but I’m a twat and I didn’t get a ticket. Guess I’ll have to wait until April for the next one!

This record aside, you just know that Pigs are a band that HAVE to be seen live. When A66 goes right into Thumbsucker, you just know that their live shows would leave you hard of hearing for weeks. It doesn’t matter anyway, because nothing will sound as glorious as them. I love tranquil bands like Warpaint and Beach House so much, but there’s part of my brain that craves bands like Pigs to just unleash everything that gets held back. I love nothing more than listening to them stupidly loud, and getting completely lost in how phenomenal they are. I know they aren’t for everyone, but anyone can hear just how brilliant they are. The have this huge sound that stays ringing in your brain for hours after you’ve listened to them.

Some music is just destined to be played loud. There’s no other way to listen to King Of Cowards other than brutally loud. I’ve always had such love and respect for them, and what they’ve done with this record has totally blown me away. I’m in awe of how great they are- I always knew they were, but they’ve truly done something else with this record. You’ll never know what you’re going to get with them, and that’s one of the many reasons as to why I’m obsessed with them.

Buy the record, go to the shows and don’t wear earplugs when you go see them. Absorb in all the noise, the sweat, the limb flailing and just get right into it.